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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
TWO Zimbabwean female cricketers, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Modester Mupachikwa left the country on Wednesday after being selected to be part of the Women’s Global Development Squad (WGDS) set to play in the run-up to the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia.
They will play five one-day games at Sydney’s Blacktown International Sports Park 1 from Monday, November 19 to Friday, November 22. The duo are expected back in the country on November 26.
They were selected ahead of Harare’s Precious Marange and Nomvelo Sibanda of Bulawayo, taking up two of the 12 international places that were availed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to high-performing players from outside the ICC Women’s Championship.
The 26-year-old Mugeri-Tiripano who plays club cricket in Mutare is a left-handed top-order batswoman. She is also the national women’s team captain, with 15 one-day caps and has played 25 Twenty20 (T20) international matches, scoring four and five half-centuries in the respective formats.
Twenty-one-year-old wicketkeeper-batswoman Mupachikwa has featured in 15 one-day matches for Zimbabwe, scoring four half-centuries since making her international debut against Japan in 2011. She also has four 50s to her name in her 19 T20 games with the national team.
Acting Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Givemore Makoni hailed the selection of the two players.
“We are pleased to have two of our key players taking part in the global development initiative which will provide them with invaluable experience as they will get to play with and against some of the game’s best players in the run-up to one of the world’s biggest tournaments,” Makoni said.
The ICC says the WGDS programme will give participating players and coaches the chance to learn from each other, test their skills against world-class teams and experience new training environments and cultures.
Women’s Global Development Squad
Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa (both Zimbabwe); Nannapat Koncharoenkrai, Nattakan Chantham, Nattaya Boochatham (all Thailand); Ravini Oa, Veru Frank, Kaia Arua (all PNG); Sterre Kalis (Netherlands); Priyanaz Chatterji (Scotland); Selina Solman (Vanuatu); Mikayla Hinkley (Local selection, Australia). Head Coach, Steven Knox
WGDS Fixtures
Monday, 19 November, 1000: WGDS v Sydney Thunder at Blacktown International Sports Park 1, Sydney
Monday, 19 November, 1400: WGDS v Sydney Thunder at Blacktown International Sports Park 1, Sydney
Wednesday, 21 November, 1000: WGDS v Brisbane Heat at Blacktown International Sports Park 1, Sydney
Thursday, 22 November, 1000 : WGDS v Hobart Hurricanes at Dalton Park, Wollongong
Friday, 23 November, 1000: WGDS v Hobart Hurricanes at Blacktown International Sports Park 2, Sydney
— @ZililoR
Online Reporter